The invention relates to the general field of vehicles fitted with on-board equipment for managing a fleet of vehicles.
Vehicle fleet management applications are now widespread. The services they offer include in particular determining the position of the vehicle, returning vehicle positions to a central site, sending instructions to a vehicle from the central site, etc. This type of application makes use of equipment on board the vehicle, e.g. equipment containing a satellite position-determining device and capable of communicating with the central site.
In certain applications, it is necessary to ensure the integrity of the data generated by the on-board equipment. By way of example, this may apply to functions serving to verify the routes followed, or the way in which the vehicle is utilized. In order to ensure data integrity, it is known to make use of an asymmetric-key cryptographic mechanism. Nevertheless, it is known that that type of mechanism requires means that are considerable, in particular for distributing private keys and for configuring pieces of equipment.
Furthermore, it is mandatory to install an electronic chronotachograph in all new trucks weighing more than 3.5 (metric) tonnes (t). When data is extracted from an electronic chronotachograph via its front-face connector, the data is signed. This signature is based on an asymmetric-key cryptographic mechanism and serves to ensure that the data is authentic (that it does indeed come from the chronotachograph in question) and to ensure the integrity of the data (i.e. that it has not been modified compared with what it was when generated in the chronotachograph).